LeBron James' worst playoff game was the 2011 Finals failure all his doubters wanted to see

There is no question now that LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players ever. You can measure that in individual brilliance, and also in team success. He’s got championships.

LeBron’s playoff career is packed wall-to-wall with astounding brilliance, and if you dig for his worst playoff performances ever — like, say, for a video series called The Worst — you will be amazed by how few substandard postseason performances he has on record.

That said, there are a few stinkers. And the stinkiest of the stinkers serves as a fascinating reminder of a different, less certain point in LeBron’s playoff history. LeBron’s mainstream reputation entering Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks is so different from what it is now.

He wasn’t yet a champion — in fact, he’d had a couple notable individual failures in pursuit of his first ring in Cleveland.

He wasn’t yet widely beloved — in fact, it was pretty popular to look down on the guy for leaving Cleveland to “take the easy way out” and form a “superteam” in Miami.

Within that context, James played one of the worst playoff games of his career. He was passive and deferent at times, over-aggressive and heavy-handed at others. His stats were terrible, and the Heat blew a fourth-quarter lead to lose Game 4, allowing the Mavs to tie the series at 2-2. And then Dallas won the whole thing, and LeBron had himself a very difficult summer. Purely in terms of basketball, it was the low point of his career.

This episode of The Worst plumbs that low point, because it was lower than you might recall, and because doing so helps us better appreciate how far he’s come, and how magnificently he has risen since that baaaaad bad period in 2011.

Written and produced by Seth Rosenthal
Directed and edited by Ryan Simmons

#SBNation #LeBronJames #TheWorst

[juanharrybear]

As a Mavericks fan, I really hate that they didn’t get any credit from the national media for beating LeBron James & the Miami Heat in that series. It’s always “LeBron choked!”! etc and no praise for at all for Dallas.

[TheClutchCanuck]

I feel like fans tend to forget that the Mavs were missing their 3rd leading scorer in the 2011 playoffs (Caron Butler). That makes their championship run even more impressive for me.

[MatthiasG]

I'm sure the comments are going to be civil

[Lightdion]

I see you all failed to mention how LeBron and Dwyane was making fun of Dirk being sick and Dirk (still really sick) killed the chance of having to come back in that series. 2011 was the best year as a Mavericks fan!!

[f.a.hampton]

Not One
Not Two
Not Three
Not Four
Not Five
But Six NBA Finals Loses

[ryanvoss]

The defensive prowess of JJ Barea was just too much for Lebron

[kev]

Rewinder:
Lighting McQueen choked piston cup

[adnanmihadilapuppung]

Even worst, I remember when LeBron and DWade mocked Dirk who got fever, but they still unable to stop him, Dirk was unstoppable when he got fever 😎🤭

[GiriRam]

2011 Finals - The one where media portrays as Lebron's Failure than Dirk's Success.

How media pushes narratives. Dallas played as a team and Miami played as three stars together.

[ryx]

So much disrespect to the Mavs, Dirk and the Mavs beat the Lakers with Kobe and Pau, then beat the OKC with KD and Westbrook. The Mavs was the greatest team in the West and they damn earned there victory against the Heat.

[pierosanchez]

Change this title to Mavs greatest playoff run and redemption for Dirk

[hoodiedm]

When Miami when up 2-1 against Dallas, D Wade and Lebron were mocking Dirk's flu.

[DM-ljmn]

The fact that Terry got that tattoo before the season started then Dallas pulled off that miracle in the playoffs is crazy.

[ajitdesigan]

The one thing that separates MJ and lebron. This finals

[Mixamaka]

He went full Kyrie Irving mode in that press conference.

[ChasinDeenero]

People forget that that mavs team swept Kobe beat and beat okc in 5 that mavs team was a good sleeper team

[dominiquefrancis]

Give Dallas credit. It's a complete outplay. Plain and simple.

[sammysam]

"You don't win the finals by yourself"
Tell that to Lebron Fans. According to them, James never had help, just balloon animals

[mingjing]

That 2011 Mavs were REALLY good and clearly overlooked for whole season. Dirk was amazing. Jason Kidd was old but still a legendary point god, who became a 10-time all-star just 1 season before. Tyson Chandler was the defensive anchor, who won DPOY the next season and went on to become an all-star. Jason Terry was the sixth-man of the year in 2009. Shawn Marion, a 4-time all-star a little bit past his prime. There was no Big Three, but Dirk was not alone. This was a team filled with marginal all-star caliber players handling a lesser role, and great role players who were used and performed very well. Dirk fans (or LeBron haters) love to say that Mavs team was a "Big One" team. But it was never a good way to help basketball fans acknowledging how truly great that 2011 Mavs team was.

Just like not giving credit to their defense on LeBron. However, it was not just about their defense as well. LeBron DID choke, very much. He did give up, and showed no competitiveness or aggressiveness. He had an infamous game 4, but even game 5 was bad. But the Heat still had good chance to win the series behind Dwyane Wade's great performance (26-7-5), who had similar stats with Dirk (26-9-2), and was always better on court than on paper. I really believe the Heat could still beat the Mavs' great defense and win it all, if LeBron did not choke like that. And the fans will now talk about Wade, whose greatness in that series has since been totally ignored, carrying LeBron in the finals and becoming the 2-time FMVP.

So, props to every players on the 2011 Mavs, and their defense, and Dwyane Wade.

[willypupo]

Lebron was affraid to post up JJ Barera